Stumbling upon the Wisconsin artist William Z. Villain this morning was a complete accident but I am so glad and thankful for my over-tapping computer finger!

Whilst browsing though Bandcamp earlier I unintentionally clicked on a video and it began playing, within seconds I was completely hooked and by the end of the track I hastily purchased the whole album, all because of this one song! Sometimes you know that you are going to like something and I instantly got that feeling about William Z. Villain.

Titled ‘Anybody Gonna Move,’ this has got to be one of the instantly likeable songs I’ve heard in a long time, I loved the sound of it from the first few seconds. Visually, Bill Villain is also quite fascinating to watch, attributed by a quirky, charming and off the wall manner that makes the video quite magnetic. There is a lot to be said for simplicity too, the track opens with nothing more than a couple of guitar chords and the undeniably captivating voice of Villain but this speaks volumes. Coupled with lush vocal harmonies and subtle latin riffs, the layers build, all loosely bound by an effortless beat and chilled out vibe, it reminded me of Cold War Kids ‘Make Up Your Mind’ in some ways.

I was lucky enough to briefly catch up with Bill and got to ask him a little bit about himself, what it is that motivates and influences and if he has any plans to tour. He described how he is currently planning a three week tour of eastern United States this March, touring with Detroit artist Jeremy Waun. Unfortunately he will not be crossing the Atlantic until 2017 and is looking for UK bands to tour with (any bands interested can find details on Villain’s Bandcamp page here). Musically he really digs Afro-beat and Rebetiko (and for anyone wondering, this is Greek folk music). As far as motivations to write are concerned, he coolly describes how songwriting is a challenge he enjoys, perhaps his mellow nature is owing to the rustic dwelling he occupies in the mountains of North Carolina, that would be enough to inspire anyone.

This track can be found on Villain’s new self-titled album which was released at the beginning of December and was impressively recorded in one room over just one weekend, consisting of mostly one take performances…superb!! It’s definitely worth a listen and can be found on Bandcamp here